“It is unusual for any European leader to receive President Putin for a state visit in the capital given the current tensions between Russia and Europe,” said Kristine Berzina, senior fellow at The German Marshall Fund of the United States.

But the hostility ends when it comes to energy, as European leaders are well aware that millions of homes would be without heating if Russia turns off the gas taps.

Imports from Russia are rising

The European Union imports 69% of its natural gas, according to the European Commission. The latest available data shows 37% of the imported gas comes from Russia, about 33% from Norway, and 11% from Algeria.

And while the European Union vowed to cut its dependency on Russian gas after the crisis in Ukraine, Russian exports to Europe have risen to record levels in the last two years.

Austrian imports of Russian gas nearly doubled in the first quarter of 2018, compared to last year.

“There are many reasons for this, namely the decline of production in the Netherlands, the fact that some [liquified natural gas] developments have been delayed, and also the fact that Russian gas is very competitive in terms of price,” said James Henderson, director of the Natural Gas Research Programme at the Oxford Institute for Energy Studies.

A number of EU countries, particularly those closest to Russia, are still almost completely dependent on Moscow for their gas.

What’s more, much of Russia’s natural gas is pumped through Ukraine, a risky route given the conflict between the two countries.

Russia needs Europe, too

A gas hub in Baumgarten in Austria.

Russia has in the past used Ukraine’s dependency on its energy as a way of exerting pressure on the country. Some European leaders are worried that Russia could adopt the same strategy towards the European Union in retaliation for sanctions.

“But this has not really happened,” said Marco Siddi, senior research fellow at the Finnish Institute of International Affairs.

“Sixty-seven percent of Russia’s tax revenues comes from energy exports, Russia needs this trade even more that the European Union,” he added

Plans for a new gas pipeline that would bypass Ukraine have been in the works for years, but Europe is deeply divided over the project.

Opponents say the Nord Stream 2 pipeline would only increase the European Union’s dependence on Russian energy. But Germany and some other countries argue that it would give Europe more energy security.

“The political weight that is given to the gas relationship differs from country to country,” said Berzina. “I would argue in Austria, and in Germany … the economic ties around energy are given outsized political weight.”

Dependent for decades

Still, the European Union has taken some steps to wean itself off Russian gas. It has invested in liquefied natural gas import terminals in Poland and Lithuania, making it possible to use other suppliers.

American producers have been trying to export more natural gas to Europe, but they mostly haven’t been able to offer prices that can compete with Russia.

Europe has also built better pipeline links between nations, so it can send gas back and forth where needed, while keeping prices competitive.

However, Europe is likely to remain dependent on Russian gas for decades to come.

“Europe is a major energy importing region. There aren’t many options apart from reducing gas usage overall,” said Henderson.

Greggie, I am very tired of you personally and you politics of camouflaged hate. I don’t enable shit, stupid, follow your dumb logic that we are nothing in regards to the PTB. On this board I am American crittcal but I also have a backbone against dishonest and emotionally driven anti-Americanism from Canadians like you. Canada is being turned into an extremist magnet by people like you. You are the biggest hypocrite on this board and I despise hipocrisy.

“Yes, it will be like that, but may be worse with other extenuating circumstances such as war or the decline of international trade. Hyperinflation as happened in the Soviet and Post Soviet economy is a certainty.”

I noticed that this May Bulman is very interested in the topic of “anti-semitism”.

No surprises here. More ethnic warfare by the tribe against someone who “stole” the presidency from the Sanhedrin. The very reason why millikike brought her up in the first place.

MASTERMIND on Mon, 11th Jun 2018 2:11 pm

Clog

it was at Yale but the professor quoted in the article worked at new york university..Maybe if you would open your eyes and read you ignorant neckbeard. And your blog is total trash. and nobody who made six figures would use such a god awful platform..

The Tribe is now firing from all cannons against Trump. This is exactly why they have been thrown out of every country where they dwelled, except the US, a country that has great trouble figuring things out. Looks like the defenseless European-Americans need a little help from their older continental European brothers, who are far more experienced on this subject, before white Americans end up in the Gulag.

Let’s make the East Coast the new fly-over country.

MASTERMIND on Mon, 11th Jun 2018 2:18 pm

Oil Kingdom In Crisis: Saudi Royal Family Rift Turns Violent

Gregory Copley, of Defense & Foreign Affairs, noted on December 12, 2017: “Saudi Arabia now appears to have moved beyond the point of recovery, and could collapse at any time into internal conflict or fracturing.” On October 8, 2015, he noted: “Concerns are growing within Saudi Arabia that the Kingdom is facing systemic challenges which could see its break-up within a decade or two.”

Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman (MBS) was reported to have been struck by at least two rounds.

““Yes, it will be like that, but may be worse with other extenuating circumstances such as war or the decline of international trade. Hyperinflation as happened in the Soviet and Post Soviet economy is a certainty.”

Completely agree MM. The only thing worse, that immediately comes to mind, would be a catastrophic runaway greenhouse event. Which may, or may not, have already been triggered.

Judging from the extreme weather we’ve seen here so far this year, and correspondence that I’ve personally had with an individual who works for US parks in Alaska, my best guess is that we already have.

Time will tell.

GregT on Mon, 11th Jun 2018 2:22 pm

“Canada is being turned into an extremist magnet by people like you. You are the biggest hypocrite on this board and I despise hipocrisy.”

Canada is being destroyed from within, by the same people who are destroying the U.S. from within. The same people who you continue to support, and enable, Davy.

Davy on Mon, 11th Jun 2018 2:31 pm

Canada is being destroyed by people like you greggie that are living in lies. You are a broken people pointing fingers at others for the nasty lives you live. Just read an anonymous1 comment to get a grip where Canada is going. I personally tell anyone who asks what my experience is with a handful of Canadians. Statistically this is an indicator of sorts for broad based hatred from Canada. The pussy kind of hatred that is a backstabbing. That is you greggie a liar claiming to love Americans as you twist the knife in our backs.

GregT on Mon, 11th Jun 2018 4:31 pm

“Canada is being destroyed by people like you greggie that are living in lies. Just read an anonymous1 comment to get a grip where Canada is going.”

I have absolutely no say in the direction that Canada ‘is going’ Davy, and neither does anonymous1.

“I personally tell anyone who asks what my experience is with a handful of Canadians.”

Your experience with a few people who happen to have been born into the tax farm called Canada, has zero bearing on anything at all. They are merely responding to your non-stop delusional bullshit Davy.

“Statistically this is an indicator of sorts for broad based hatred from Canada. The pussy kind of hatred that is a backstabbing.”

A handful of individuals out of 36 million people, responding to your usual delusional BS, isn’t a statistical indicator of anything Davy. It isn’t hatred, and it isn’t backstabbing.

More delusions.

“That is you greggie a liar claiming to love Americans as you twist the knife in our backs.”

Get help Davy. Your paranoid delusions continue to become more far fetched by the day.

Davy on Mon, 11th Jun 2018 4:41 pm

“I have absolutely no say in the direction that Canada ‘is going’ Davy, and neither does anonymous1.”
You are the ugly reflection grehggie.

“Your experience with a few people who happen to have been born into the tax farm called Canada, has zero bearing on anything at all. They are merely responding to your non-stop delusional bullshit Davy. A handful of individuals out of 36 million people, responding to your usual delusional BS, isn’t a statistical indicator of anything Davy. It isn’t hatred, and it isn’t backstabbing.”
Pretty much 90% of the Canadians that comment here are disrespectful ugly anti-Americans. You Canadians are emotional about it. It is a way of life to hate Americans. You don’t even know you do it and when it is brought up you explain it away like dumbass here saying it is delusional or paranoia. There are consequences for this behavior and over time it will bite you in the ass.

GregT on Mon, 11th Jun 2018 4:56 pm

“Pretty much 90% of the Canadians that comment here are disrespectful ugly anti-Americans.”

Pretty much 90%? Disrespectful? Ugly anti-Americans?

LOL

“It is a way of life to hate Americans. ”

That’s right Davy, every single day, 36 million Canadians congregate together to sing American hate songs, right after singing O-Canada and pledging allegiance to the Canadian flag. It’s a way of life here.

Nothing delusional at all about that.

“There are consequences for this behavior and over time it will bite you in the ass.”

I doubt very much that the Empire plans on bombing it’s northern occupied territory back into the stone age any time soon.

Cloggie on Mon, 11th Jun 2018 5:11 pm

Bombing its own allies is too much, even for war-crazed neocons.

Makati1 on Mon, 11th Jun 2018 5:43 pm

Greg, when you assert a fact, and Davy cannot refute it, he switches to personal putdowns. He is trying to defend the indefensible, his plundering, murdering, terrorist country, the Us. He blames weekly school shootings on guns when it is really caused by people like himself: deluded, immoral, immature, drugged up, brainwashed psychos.

Guns were common in my youth. A teen was often given a 22 as a birthday present. My best friend had a 12 gauge shotgun when he was 16 and a 22. We often went hunting groundhogs in the fields nearby. BB and air guns were popular. Yet, I cannot remember even one school shooting in those days.

Davy on Mon, 11th Jun 2018 5:52 pm

“Pretty much 90%? Disrespectful? Ugly anti-Americans? LOL”
Right grehggie, you people don’t even know you are doing it. It is normal for you. Pathetic

“That’s right Davy, every single day, 36 million Canadians congregate together to sing American hate songs, right after singing O-Canada and pledging allegiance to the Canadian flag. It’s a way of life here.”
More explaining away the obvious with exaggerations and stupidity. You actions show where you true feeling are and definitely 90% of the Canadian comments here focus on anti-Americanism or like with you and the dumbass weasel it is constant stalking and pricking of Americans.

“I doubt very much that the Empire plans on bombing it’s northern occupied territory back into the stone age any time soon.”
More explaining away the obvious. Just wait Canadians until these ugly attitudes you have for Americans blows up into the wrong type of situation. We may see a different relationship with the normal American to the Canadian.

Davy on Mon, 11th Jun 2018 5:57 pm

“Greg, when you assert a fact, and Davy cannot refute it, he switches to personal putdowns.”
Shut up 3rd world, you do the same putdown thing daily. In fact you put down a whole people that includes me. Quit your whining about it. I don’t whine when you call me names I just laugh. You come up with some stupid putdowns because you are such a dork. You deserve every neutering I have given you now going on 5 years. Every day I shut down your exaggerations and embellishments. What a nut case. No wonder grehggie and the weasel like you so much. You guys have much in common.

“He is trying to defend the indefensible, his plundering, murdering, terrorist country, the Us.”
I defend reality and the truth, 3rd world, and you are the enemy of that cause.

Makati1 on Mon, 11th Jun 2018 6:15 pm

Third grader Davy resorts to putdowns EVERY time he cannot refute an assertion with facts. EVERY time! He just proved it…again.

Davy on Mon, 11th Jun 2018 7:39 pm

The putdowns are what you deserve and what fits an ugly person like you. Your whole intellectual life is dedicated to putting down Americans in every possible way per any topic presented. It does not matter the subject. It is a personality sickness. It is a reflection of your 60 years of life in the US that were years of serial failures.

Davy, this is a forum for debate, not for a frustrated expression of immaturity. If you cannot rebut a comment with referenced facts, then just ignore the comment.

You are not proving your view is correct by resorting to putdowns and name calling. You think that those make up for intelligent reply. They do not. They just prove that the original assertion was correct and there is no defense.

There is no defense for the criminal Us actions around the world. None. That must be most frustrating and stressful for a rabid supporter of BAU like yourself. So be it. Have you tried opiods? I hear they are easy to get in the Us.

“Your whole intellectual life is dedicated to putting down Americans in every possible way per any topic presented.”

Makati1 is an American Davy.

GregT on Mon, 11th Jun 2018 9:01 pm

And Davy,

With people like you around, it’s only a matter of time before Americans lose the rights to freedom of expression, political affiliation, and speech, as laid forth in the constitution.

You don’t get to choose what other people are allowed to think, believe, or say. Uphold the constitution, or lose it. You can’t have it both ways buddy.

antaris on Mon, 11th Jun 2018 9:12 pm

mm, I just had a look at CNN. Karma is alive and well. Some that wish others to end up in a special kind of Hell, might find themselves there.

MASTERMIND on Mon, 11th Jun 2018 9:37 pm

antaris

I just read that it was only a mild heart attack and he is expected to survive..Damn..He was a former coke addict so no surprise..

Boat on Mon, 11th Jun 2018 9:39 pm

greggiet

I wish the best for all countries because like the US only a handful make decisions. No system can work for everyone in all situations. One must make individual decisions on individual issues knowing that in the end a very minute difference may have been made.

Der… Why not? They are rodents that destroy crops, make holes in the middle of fields used for grazing. You set mouse traps or kill rats for the same reasons, I am sure. Unwanted varmints.

BTW: Young ground hogs are good eating. ^_^

Makati1 on Mon, 11th Jun 2018 11:10 pm

MM, do you roll around in the slums with whores?

You have no idea what those days were like nor will you ever understand that it was then the American Dream that has now turned into the American Nightmare. We killed rodents. Now your generation kills students. Who lived/lives in the better era?

MASTERMIND on Mon, 11th Jun 2018 11:24 pm

Madkat

]The entire OECD is going down and it will bring the end of the world..The world economy can’t function on solely the underdeveloped nations..what are you an idiot? Stick to what you know best, eating road kill and farting all day on the construction site..LOL

GregT on Mon, 11th Jun 2018 11:27 pm

When we were kids we spent many a day shooting ground squirrels, AKA gophers. They dig holes everywhere, the livestock would break their legs in them, they eat everything in sight, and they can carry infectious diseases. Every few years the population would literally explode. When my dad was a kid the government paid so much per tail to help keep their numbers under control.

I wouldn’t expect anybody who grew up in a city to understand makati1. Most people today have become detached from the natural world. It’s no wonder that people so falsely believe that the economy is more important for human survival than the environment.

GregT on Mon, 11th Jun 2018 11:45 pm

MM,

“The entire OECD is going down and it will bring the end of the world.”

Sorry dude, but you still appear to be a tad more than a little bit confused. It is our economies that are likely to bring the end of the world, for humans that is. The world itself will recover, eventually…..

Makati1 on Mon, 11th Jun 2018 11:55 pm

Mm, and are you so brainwashed as to believe your assertion? What “undeveloped” nations? Define “undeveloped”.

Do your “undeveloped” include China? Russia? South Korea? Even North Korea? How about the Philippines? Malaysia? Indonesia? The …stan’ countries? Iran? Saudi Arabia? The U.A.E.? Qatar? Bahrain? All non-OECD countries.

Are you aware that most of the natural resources, still available in the world, are in those countries? That, over all, the debt levels there are lower also. That, with a few exceptions, their lifestyle is not as dependent on international trade as are most of the OECD countries?

I would suggest you do some serious research, outside Us sources, for current info.

Davy on Tue, 12th Jun 2018 4:27 am

“With people like you around, it’s only a matter of time before Americans lose the rights to freedom of expression, political affiliation, and speech, as laid forth in the constitution.”
Shut up greggie, this is about a few of us on this board not the entire country. We are talking nasty repugnant people that disrespect others here with their own personal emotional agenda. People like you and the weasel, Canadians that hate Americans. The dumb dutch guy and the 3rd world’er who daily cherry pick the worst in the US and make constant put downs and character assassinations of a nation in such a way that it reflects on us individually here. You of course try to project to a national level as a way of deflection.

“You don’t get to choose what other people are allowed to think, believe, or say. Uphold the constitution, or lose it. You can’t have it both ways buddy.”
Buddy, if you are spitting in my eye you can be damn sure I will spit back. What kind of dumbass whiner are you? You think you can say the things you do in an unending anti-American package and not get blow back? You will be disrespected every day that you peruse your selfish agenda of hate and putdowns.

Cloggie on Tue, 12th Jun 2018 4:27 am

MM is not brainwashed, he is the brainwasher.

Davy on Tue, 12th Jun 2018 4:36 am

“Davy, this is a forum for debate, not for a frustrated expression of immaturity. If you cannot rebut a comment with referenced facts, then just ignore the comment.”
3rd world, you need to present proper comments that deserve a rebuttal. Otherwise your bad behavior is going to be neutered daily as I have done now for years. I promised you this all you have to do is moderate and respect people. You are unable to do this.

“You are not proving your view is correct by resorting to putdowns and name calling. You think that those make up for intelligent reply. They do not. They just prove that the original assertion was correct and there is no defense.”
Your comments are putdowns 3rd world’er. They are camouflaged name calling and you also do the name calling hypocrite. You don’t make real assertions you are promoting a packaged agenda of anti-American hate. It is extreme and distorted.

There is no defense for the criminal Us actions around the world.
3rd world keep this on the individual level. This is about you and me not nations. Stop the bad behavior or most of your improper and in poor taste comments will be neutered.

Davy on Tue, 12th Jun 2018 4:44 am

“When we were kids we spent many a day shooting ground squirrels, AKA gophers. They dig holes everywhere, the livestock would break their legs in them, they eat everything in sight, and they can carry infectious diseases.”
Just an excuse for a gun freaks to wantonly kill animals. We have groundhogs here and they provide places for the rabbits to go to escape predators. They are not a problem.

“Every few years the population would literally explode. When my dad was a kid the government paid so much per tail to help keep their numbers under control.”
The population exploded because you cruel Canadian prairie folks killed all the high order predators then you blame it on the ground hogs. SICK

“I wouldn’t expect anybody who grew up in a city to understand makati1.”
The 3rd world’er never grew up in the country. He was a small town boy. He doesn’t know what real country living is. He has been in Manila now for 10 years.

“Most people today have become detached from the natural world. It’s no wonder that people so falsely believe that the economy is more important for human survival than the environment.”
WTF, you were just talking about killing groundhogs and you jump to caring about the environment. What a twisted dumbass.

Davy on Tue, 12th Jun 2018 4:48 am

“That, with a few exceptions, their lifestyle is not as dependent on international trade as are most of the OECD countries?”
Your Asian nations are more dependent on international trade because you can’t feed yourselves. Your large populations need to export or they will not remain intact. Get a grip 3rd worlder, the world is globalized and we are all at risk. You try to deny this by promoting Asia but your assertions are failures.

JuanP on Tue, 12th Jun 2018 8:31 am

Mak to MM “I would suggest you do some serious research, outside Us sources, for current info.” If he could do that he would not be who he is, Mak. MM will only read non American sources that agree with his biases, and he won’t use non Western MSM propaganda sources under any conditions. The fact that he falls for the Russian boogeyman crap is irrefutable proof that he is thoroughly brainwashed. The whole evil Russians narrative is completely insane and totally disconnected from reality. People who can’t see that can’t see shit.

GregT on Tue, 12th Jun 2018 10:01 am

” We are talking nasty repugnant people that disrespect others here with their own personal emotional agenda.”

You would be the one with the self proclaimed personal emotional agenda Davy. Others are expressing their personal views and opinions, which you are attacking them for.

“You of course try to project to a national level as a way of deflection.”

Freedom of speech protects the rights of individuals Davy. When individual rights are taken away it becomes a national issue, and flies in the very face of a free and democratic society. You don’t get to determine what other people are allowed to say, think, or believe.

Uphold the rights and freedoms set forth in the constitution, or lose them.

GregT on Tue, 12th Jun 2018 10:08 am

“Buddy, if you are spitting in my eye you can be damn sure I will spit back. What kind of dumbass whiner are you?”

Buddy, there is a thing called debate. That is how people sway other peoples’ opinions.

Name calling, childish rhetoric, and delusional accusations, do not constitute mature, considerate, rational, or intelligent debate.

People are entitled to their own opinions Davy. If you don’t like other people’s opinions, and don’t believe that they should have the right to express them, there are already plenty of brutal dictatorships on this planet for you to relocate to.

GregT on Tue, 12th Jun 2018 10:20 am

“The population exploded because you cruel Canadian prairie folks killed all the high order predators then you blame it on the ground hogs. SICK.”
“We have groundhogs here and they provide places for the rabbits to go to escape predators. They are not a problem.”

The high level predators were wiped out long before Canada was set up as a Crown corporation Davy. They were wiped out by European immigrants.

Rabbits are too large to get into gopher holes Davy, and the rabbits where I grew up are actually called hares.

GregT on Tue, 12th Jun 2018 10:27 am

Apologies,

There were rabbits as well, but they were introduced from Europe, are to this day remain an invasive species.

They are still too large to go down gopher holes.

GregT on Tue, 12th Jun 2018 11:36 am

“We have groundhogs here and they provide places for the rabbits to go to escape predators. They are not a problem.”

“WTF, you were just talking about killing groundhogs and you jump to caring about the environment. What a twisted dumbass.”

Actually Davy, I was talking about gophers, and it would appear that you’ve already lost another debate. The environmentalists over at the Missouri Department of Conservation consider Cottontail Rabbits to be a nuisance species, and encourage their control.

The great thing about living in a free and democratic society, is that you have the opportunity to express your opinions, even if they are not commonly held.

Davy on Tue, 12th Jun 2018 12:24 pm

Lol, got the dumbass attention. All it takes with Mr prick is a little bell ringing and chain jerking to get him all stirred up. Mission accomplished…buddy.

Davy on Tue, 12th Jun 2018 12:34 pm

Greggie, as always you google brat topics about Missouri and fall flat on your face. Rabbits are especially popular around here because people have beagles to hunt them with. The rabbit is the primary food for bobcat, coyotes, and fox. Your stupid article means nothing here in the country. It might matter in suburbia or a little town like you live in where flower gardens might be impacted. Read the article again wildlife illiterate and get back to me.